I am 52 years old now and my dad passed when I was 37. Even though we went fishing and played golf all the time, I'd pay $5000 today to have just one beer with him again. I was a lucky kid. My dad told me every day that he loved me and that he was proud of me. We worked together and I know he bragged about me to the guys in the shop. I'm so thankful our relationship wasn't like the one in the song. Thanks for making a grown man cry on a Saturday night. 😁

@dizastro5437

3 ай бұрын

A strory worth a smile.

@Markrealguy51

3 ай бұрын

I’m 73,my dad passed away when I was 41,and also had a special relationship with my dad.. I was very lucky,and the memories always remain

@Billythekid-hd9ev

3 ай бұрын

God bless you my friend

I grew up on that song, I'm 65 years old. They say it's a true story, there really are men out there that really make it true.

@teesiemom

3 ай бұрын

Yep, I'm 64, always felt this song deeply, since my mom had to work, as well as my dad, for most of my life. She missed so much of my baby sister's milestones because she had to put her in day care . Was determined not to miss my kids' growing up years, and was blessed to be a stay at home mom.😊

Some younger people don’t know what cats in the cradle is, it’s a game with a string held between your fingers, and you pass it back-and-forth with another friend, without dropping or making knots in it, lol. Look it up on YT if you don’t know. Silver spoons were often given to babies as their 1st eating utensil, Little Boy Blue is a nursery rhyme, as is the Man in the Moon. So the whole chorus is an ode to childhood. 😊

@ChefBarb58

3 ай бұрын

VERY WELL SAID❤

Children learn what we teach them, whether we mean to teach them that lesson or not.

When my son was 10, he asked me to shoot hoops. I couldn’t for whatever reason and told him. He started singing this to me🤣

@andrewbell2749

Ай бұрын

💔

Next from Harry Chapin: "Taxi." He's a masterful storyteller.

@bethgooch6243

3 ай бұрын

Live!

We need more fathers that's involved!!

Hold your babies close.

Harry was a masterful storyteller, songwriter, and singer. My husband and had seen several of his live performances in Massachusetts in the 1970s and owned every album he ever made. We finally had front row tickets to one of his concerts in 1981; we were beyond thrilled. I was driving home from work one evening and heard on the radio that Harry had been killed in a car accident on the Long Island Expressway. It was tragic to lose such a gifted talent at such a young age. He could tell a story through song like no one else. I am so happy his music, stories, and legacy live on today.

@ChefBarb58

3 ай бұрын

SO GLAD YOU GOT TO SEE HIM . I'M ONE FROM MASS. IT WAS GREAT BEING 18 IN 1976 THE MUSIC WAS SO GREAT FROM ALL SIDES OF SPECTREM. YES IT GOES FAST. MY MOTHER INLAW ALWAYS SAID YOU BOTH NEED TO STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES. SEE WE ONLY DID FOR THE CHILDREN AND WE HAD FUN NO REGRETS. IT FELT LIKE IT WENT BY SO FAST AND THEY DON'T LIVE CLOSE BY SO NOW ALONE NO HELP AND NOBODY'S PAYING FORWARD IN THESE DAYS. SO HARD TO GIVE THE BALANCE OF LIFE. JUST MAKE SURE YOU TELL THEM YOU LOVE THEM. YOUR HEART WILL GO ON FOREVER. TAKE CARE⚘️

One time our kids wanted their dad to do something with them. We were in the car going somewhere. He started making some kind of excuse and our oldest daughter, who was probably a young teenager at that time, went "Cat's in the Cradle, Dad," because I used to play the song for them. Hahahaha. He did whatever they wanted him to do that day....and pretty much all the days after that.

The example we give kids is what determines there future, influence it. Be careful what you are like in everything.

My kids father was exactly like this song. They're grown up now and you can't turn back the hands of time and he missed out on so much of their lives.

My 7 children grew up so fast. I just had #6 grandchild. I am determined to slow it down and enjoy EVERY moment!

Harry was a master storyteller. You must listen to Taxi. I saw him in concert when I was 17, and I haven't looked back. He died tragically in an auto accident.

So very true today as when this was recorded.

Blink and they are all grown up !

@louisestevenson5102

3 ай бұрын

True

I grew up hearing this song. It really stuck with me as a parent and now grandparent. Really makes you stop and think. Good reaction

You figured the story in this song right out of the gate - it does carry a powerful message. Glad you could appreciate it.

So He passed away, at the age of 38 in a car accident, and left behind his wife, who wrote the poem this song was crafted from, and his son, whom was the inspiration for doing the song... a full circle of love, and even more poignant stress on the message to stay focused on what's important in your life, because time is so, SO very precious.👍🏼✌🏼🇨🇦

That is the relationship I had with my dad and he told me a few years before he passed that he missed out on watching me grow up

@andrewbell2749

Ай бұрын

😢

Another great singer songwriter & storyteller. I had his "Greatest Stories Live" double album. "Cat's In The Cradle" is his most famous piece. "Taxi" was another big hit for Harry Chapin. Ten years later he followed it up with "Sequel" showing what happened to the 2 people in the story. He had so many great songs such as "W·O·L·D", "Mr. Tanner", "Mail Order Annie", "They Call Her Easy", "I Wanna Learn A Love Song", "30,000 Pounds Of Bananas", "Shooting Star", "Halfway To Heaven", "Six String Orchestra", "Dreams Go By", "Remember When The Music", "Story Of A Life". We lost him too young in a car accident in 1981 at the age of 38. He left a great legacy of music.

I'm 62 years old. I feel this. I never got to know my dad. He worked all the time. It took him getting sick with cancer for me to spend time with him. I missed so much.

💔😭 I love this song but it makes me cry every time.

So glad you listened to the words. As a recovering addict I was always gone. Clean now for 11 years I get to be there for my grandson now. This song always makes me cry

The last verse makes me cry every single time 😢

Dude, I’ve been paying attention to these lyrics since I was 10 in the 1970s.

My husband and I met Harry, after his concert in Jacksonville, Fl., our home state. This song was part of his set and touched us deeply. My husband had just joined the Navy Submarine division and we were shipped off to Massachusetts for a school my husband had to attend. It was while we were there that we heard the horrible news of Harry’s death ( car accident on one of the loops, if I remember correctly ) in New York City. It had only been one year after we met him in the lobby of the coliseum in Jax.. We both were so broken hearted. He was such a kind man and he spoke with us for about twenty minutes or so and neither one of us asked for his autograph. He seemed to be impressed with this. I told him that his concert touched us so much that we’d never forget his name. R.I.P., Harry. 😢

@markr.devereux3385

Ай бұрын

I know the backstory of cats in the cradle and the life of Harry Chapin and it has a resonance that's very unique. I like you remember when the song was a radio hit and his television appearances and even then his masterpiece was a sensation.

Harry Chapin was so very awesome. RIP Harry! Love your reaction! ♥

The best gift you can give to anyone especially your children is your time.

The man learned a tough lesson although too late, but he could make it up to his grandchild! He could spend alot of time with his grandchild and I'm sure his son will understand!

Powerful lyrics! Great review!

This song has been making fathers and sons cry for years. Learn the lesson. ❤

Agree 100%. In the feels.

He was such a great story teller. Hits your heart every time. So sad he was taken from us so soon. RIP

Love this song great reaction keep it up

@traceycater

3 ай бұрын

Harry Chapin’s wife wrote this as a poem. Harry made it a song because it reminded him of his relationship with his Son.

I saw him twice in my life. What I loved is that he would do small venues so the concerts always felt intimate. One of my favorites from way back when.......

There was a book written called “ Absent Fathers, Lost Sons” This song sums it all up.

Harry Chapin is the music of my childhood. So many great songs.

I totally loved your reaction, here, as I always do!!! I liked that you got that it was actually, like, painful that he didn't have time for his son, and you saw, immediately, that the story had flipped to the son not having time, for his dad!! ❤ (His last name is pronounced with a long "a", as in "day".)

I love this song. I lost my dad too soon in 1992. Thankfully I spent a lot of time with him. He was 41 and I was 11. ❤

You never know when the scripts gonna flip. Be there.

Harrys wife wrote the lyrics. She asked him to have a look...he didn't really look until their son was born.....it clicked in his head...so he added music and this song became a #1 hit❤

Cudos to you for catching on instantly to what's happening 👍. You are positively one of the good dads out there. Keep on keeping on🎉😊

All about the lyrics my friend!

This got to me when I was a kid (with the separation of my parents) It hits more now that all of my sons are grown and have children of their own. FWIW I was in the US Navy and deployed often. I gave them all of my attention when I was home. If you haven't already you need to check out "Taxi"

@ABtheKreator

3 ай бұрын

Thank you for your services

Great reaction! His last name is pronounced Chay-pin and he was a great storyteller. His song Taxi is another great story. May he rest in peace.

My dad was my best friend.🙏🏼we did everything together. Now I’m 53 and I have a great relationship with my two sons and daughter.

Harry is my favorite!

I love this song

It’s a beautiful song and so sad. I always remembered it because my dad would be gone for work. I made sure my sons learned how to play catch (their dad didn’t care until he saw me teaching them) great video AB.

Notice it went from “when are you coming home dad” to “when you coming home son”

CHAY-pin. You like stories, this is the guy to give 'em to ya. Enjoy!

Saddest song in the world when you realize it could be about you

I wonder how many fathers, after listening to this song, wish they had spent more time with their kids.

Loved your reaction AB.

This was a great reaction man...

They missed their important bonding years that would carry them through the rest of their lives together. I believe it really does set the pace.

So many families have been affected by this situation. Husband always working missing out on his family because of his job. You gotta keep God first then your family.

It’s Chay-pin. I saw Harry at a lunchtime concert at my college in 1974. Taxi was the hit all my friends knew and told me to Gooooo! I didn’t know Harry. After he ran long, I cut my American History 2pm class to finish one of the concerts of my life. Harry was a very special, man and you have a small rabbit hole as he died in a car crash at 38, in 1981. So your next selection should be Taxi. He was a very charitable man and when he died his brother Tom took over the work. He continued to help feed the world’s poor. Harry’s wife wrote the poem that Harry scored when his son Josh was born. Great reaction. This song was #1 on Billboard Hot 100. I’m going to give you my official request for a new artist and one of the best covers of a Carpenters song I’ve ever seen. There are more songs for your 3 chances rule but I’m confident, it’s one and we’re good. I wouldn’t be wasting your time, sir. The person responsible for this piece is Jim Wilkas, he does the production, backing male vocals and multiple instruments. There are a cast of world wide musicians and the 20 year old woman doing the female lead and backing vocals is Tori Holub (haw luhb soft vowels). The song is; We’ve Only Just Begun. I believe you are familiar with Carpenters and this cover was released on March 2, 2024 on Karen’s birthday in heaven, in her honor. Joe kzread.info/dash/bejne/fG1pzsiDodKfhrw.htmlsi=sSmn29FQc_Fxvc5i .

Beautiful reaction❤ you want more fill in the backstory of the artist HARRY CHAPIN.

Harry Chaplin was the father of five I believe. He passed away only a few short years after this song was released.

@jotham777

3 ай бұрын

A truck hit his car on the Long Island Expressway in Long Island, NY, while he was driving to Eisenhower Park to perform in a concert… just about 3 miles from where I live. Very sad.

Love your reaction - spitting out facts and words of wisdom ❤❤❤

Such a great classic song

I’m almost 62 and remember listening to this as a young person vowing this wouldn’t be me.

Great interpretation/review/reaction, as always. Thx for this, was a good one.

I’ll be 42 next month & Harry’s “Greatest Stories Live” was the soundtrack to my life. We played that cassette over & over on long car trips. Wish we had been able to see him in concert.

Great, very famous song!!❤❤ Very beautiful telling story!❤ Great reaction as always AB!!❤❤

Love this song, and Harry Chapin.... my sister dedicated this song to me at her wedding 💜 (also, his last name is pronounced "shay-pin" 😉)

Harry Chapin was one of the all time great story tellers. Harry's songs are profound. Check out: Flowers are Red Taxi *Tangled Up Puppet* have your tissues handy The Circle There Only One Choice (the end in disjointed -- but the first stanzas, and the line: "I have a problem with my aging I no longer can ignore. A tame and toothless tabby can't produce a lion's roar", are some of the best lyrics ever written. If you need a good laugh: 30,000 lbs of Bananas - (make sure it's the 1975 live version) the studio version is not as good.

Very wholesome song, never mind the tune itself.

I love Harry Chapin, and I got to see him in concert once in Central Park back in the 70s. He was a beautiful man and extraordinary storyteller. Cats In the Cradle made me teary because so many of us have experienced the parent who just isn't there for us. NEXT UP: Check out his song "Taxi." It was his biggest hit and has an amazing story!

RIP,Harry. You were gone too soon.He has another heartfelt hit,well many,but one called “ Taxi”, is a gem.

He had two other really good ones I can think of “Taxi” and “W O L D” great story telling. I look forward to those reviews.

No amount of money ever bought a second of time. Don't waste your life chasing money and miss the love of your family 😍

Crying. My son ALWAYS came first & we were very close, but he lives quite a distance now and we talk on the phone a lot, but only planned trips to see him😢 ( last name is with a long A. I think Harry has passed away)

Jamey Johnson has a song called "The Dollar" which would fit well with this theme.

❤ this song

I believe I read that Harry's wife is responsible for the song. She wrote the lyrics to remind him to take time to spend time with his children because he traveled so much touring.

This song had us crying back in the 70s. Have you done a reaction to "Nights in White Satin" by the Moody Blues? I'd love to see your reaction.

The thing is, the son will never have time...and his father will die. For some reason, the algorithm has been pushing this song at me for the last couple of weeks. Then just yesterday it was playing on the system at Home Depot as I was checking out. The cashier, an old guy like me, said, "That's the saddest song in the world." I agreed. I was a single father when my son was five years old, 42 years ago. That song came on MTV one evening while I was watching him play, and I vowed it would never happen to us. Then, somehow, it did happen. I didn't want it to happen. It didn't dawn on me while it was happening. But it happened anyway. He's so busy himself these days, married with three children of his own. I told him last night how sorry I was. He said, "That's okay. We'll get together."

I like this song and taxi. There is a cover to this from the 90's by Ugly Kid Joe. I like both versions. My childhood neighbor was in Ugly Kid Joe

It’s Chay pin. Love ya.

Bottom Line: One way or the other every parent is going to be an example/role model for their children. The question is what KIND of example/role model are you going to be? The choice is yours.

@markr.devereux3385

Ай бұрын

People I talk to seem to think a son shouldn't think his parents owe him anything. Youre grown up move on .......... no no no....that is what connects the generations. My child deserves everything i can give and that can be a lifetime if i have to make things right for my mistakes during their younger years. That will connect the generations better than the common American belief it's everyman for themselves when it applies to family

Mr. Tanner by Harry Chapin should be next.

Taxi, You gotta hear it.

Gentle pumpkin 10')

Someone probably already said it, but "cat's in the cradle" is very deep. Historically, cats (while being our very good pets) are not very good around young children. From what my grandmother told me, the cats would like to curl up on the faces of infants because their breath was warm. That sometimes didn't end well as the children suffocated. Peace, Love!!

❤❤❤❤❤

The sad part of this is Harry was inspired to record this when his son Josh was born.....sadly Harry died in a car crash when he was 38. His son Josh is the spitting image of his dad Harry. Josh was eight years old when his dad was killed.

Try his song "Corey's Coming" (the 8 minute 15 second version), it's good.

❤

😢❤

🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁 ..... good one ....... 🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁

Chay-pin

different story song... "One Tim Soldier" a.k.a. "Theme of Billy Jack"

I'm doing what I can to make the KZread thing take off for you so you can't quit that 9-5 and spend more time with your kids bro. If I could do more I would! This song hits home

It’s sad that Harry died too young. His child or children weren’t very old.

Pink pumpkin 32

Clever soldier 34

Don't step on the song! Let his lyrics do their work